According to the 2020 Broadband Deployment Report of the Federal Communications Commission, approximately 32.1% of the Tribal residents in the United States don’t have access to 25 Mbps internet download speeds. Similarly, around 22.3% of rural residents in America are unable to get internet speed up to 25 Mbps.
So, if you are planning a getaway from the city to a countryside area, then you should understand that all rural areas do not have good internet speed. Or if you are a resident of rural area or you are shifting there for some reason, you should know what internet options you have at your disposal. To assist you in this regard, this blog guides you about the best internet options for rural areas. Let’s get started!
What Are Internet Options for Rural Areas?
Before we begin the discussion, you need to know about different internet services available in rural areas. Here are the different internet options that you can avail in rural areas along with their availability status:
| Internet | Availability in Rural Areas |
| Fixed wireless internet | Accessible in most areas that have mobile phone signals |
| Mobile wireless internet | Accessible with 4G LTE home ISPs |
| Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet | Accessible in areas that have landline phone service |
| Satellite internet | Accessible easily from everywhere |
| Dial-up Internet | Accessible in rural areas that have landline phone service |
Hotspotting off your smartphones is an alternative solution for those of you who do not consume a lot of heavy data. If you want to enjoy videos online through YouTube, Hulu, or Netflix, then hot-spotting might not be a suitable option as you will soon run out of monthly data.
Another alternative is mobile wireless internet, which uses cell phone towers to deliver internet connection. Those rural areas that have access to reliable cell service can opt for a 4G LTE internet service. It provides unlimited data at reasonable rates. Moreover, it is portable and comes without any contract.
When it comes to desirability, Dial-up is ranked last due to its dull speed. If you have limited resources, then only we would recommend this. Otherwise, it is not a good internet option if you are looking for a seamless internet experience. Let’s explore all these options in detail now.
Satellite Internet in Rural Areas
One of the best internet options in terms of availability is undoubtedly satellite internet. You only need to mount a dish on your roof to access this internet; it saves you from the hassle of hard wires.
Satellite internet is mostly the only connection present on farms in rural and remote areas where phone lines and cable connections are inaccessible. Viasat and HughesNet are the top two satellite internet service providers available in these regions.
Speed
With satellite, you can enjoy a minimum speed of 12 Mbps. Viasat internet service provider offers up to 100 Mbps speed. This speed allows you to perform most of your online activities except for multiplayer gaming.
Drawback
One major drawback of satellite internet is data caps. Even if you buy unlimited plans, you have to deal with slow speeds after reaching your priority data limit. If your data hits its limit before the month-end, then it allows you to use data without any penalty, but you only gets speeds ranging from 1 Mbps to 3 Mbps.
Speed also declines during weather changes and disasters like storms, etc. as these are the biggest obstacles in the way of satellite connection.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Great availability | High ping rate or latency network connection |
| Offer higher speed than DSL or dial-ups | Periodic performance delays due to weather conditions. |
DSL Internet in Rural Areas
Unlike satellite ISPs, you have a variety of options to choose from if you want to get a Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) internet. DSL internet service providers in rural areas include Wave, AT&T, CenturyLink, Frontier, Windstream, and Verizon.
Speed & Data Limit
CenturyLink and AT&T are the top 2 DSL internet service providers in rural areas. If you want to enjoy high-speed internet at affordable rates, then CenturyLink Price for Life plans may be preferable for you.
Similarly, AT&T provides monthly data bundles up to 1 TB (or 1,000 GB) and delivers internet speed up to 100 Mbps in many rural areas.
Benefits
DSL internet not only provides a seamless video streaming experience, but it also allows you to enjoy better speeds than the satellite internet connection. This is probably one of the main reasons why most people prefer DSL over satellite.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Sufficient speeds | Quality declines if you are at a distance from your internet service provider. |
| A good amount of data |
Fixed Wireless Internet in Rural Areas
An even better option that is gradually replacing DSL is fixed wireless. It delivers internet signals to the antennas installed on your home rooftop via fixed spots. The connection then travels to your router that allows you to access the Wi-Fi network. You can link your smart TV, laptops, Xbox, and various other devices to the internet.
AT&T and Rise Broadband are the two best fixed wireless internet service providers in rural areas.
Speed
One of the best fixed wireless ISPs, Rise Broadband delivers speeds up to 50 Mbps. If we compare it with others, then it is not a bad option if your internet usage is average.
Drawback
The major drawback is that some fixed wireless internet service providers place data caps on their plans. These data limits are better than those of satellite internet, but once you hit the maximum limit, majority ISPs charge you an additional amount instead of slowing down your internet speed.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Medium availability | Not present in some areas |
| Low latency rate | Low data limits |
Mobile Wireless Internet in Rural Areas
The top three mobile wireless contenders are T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T. These companies not only give you access to mobile service, but they also allow you to convert your phone into a hotspot.
Speed
You can get 4G LTE data up to 15 GB and 20 GB with Verizon’s Do More Unlimited plan and Above Unlimited plan, respectively. Always remember that once you hit the data limit, your mobile hotspot speed slows down to 600 Kbps. An interesting thing to note here is that this slow speed even is faster than other ISPs minimum speeds.
Pros and Cons
| Pros | Cons |
| Gives Wi-Fi access from almost everywhere | Inadequate coverage |
| Up to 15+ Mbps 4G LTE speeds | Very low data limits |
Bottom Line
So which rural internet option is the best? Digital Subscriber Line (DSL), satellite, mobile wireless, fixed wireless, or dial-up? It all depends on the type of internet you are looking for based on the speed and price you want.
We would recommend you to choose DSL, mobile wireless, and fixed wireless options over satellite. Why so? These options allow you to enjoy the internet without any data limits. Data limits can sometimes get really annoying. However, if there is no mobile phone service availability in your area, then you may go for a satellite option as it is easily accessible from anywhere.